TEXAS — With fall here and winter not too far behind, this flu season has already had a deadly start with the passing of two Texas girls that officials confirm was flu-related. One of the girls is the first to have died of the virus this flu season in the U.S.
Texas Surveillance reports on Oct. 14 and Oct. 21 verified the girls’ test results and concluded their cause of death as being in relation to Influenza A (H3).
The first case identified a 4-year-old girl as having tested positive for the flu. According to an Oct. 14 surveillance report, her vaccination status was unknown.
A week after that report, another flu-related death case involving a 3-year-old was confirmed. “The case was identified as a 3-year-old female in Health Region 11 with no underlying health conditions. Influenza A was confirmed by commercial rapid test and Influenza A (H3) was also confirmed by RT-PCR. The child was not vaccinated for the current season but had been vaccinated in prior seasons,” read an Oct. 21 surveillance report.
So far, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported at least 880,000 flu illnesses, 6,900 hospitalizations and 360 deaths from the flu. This week’s influenza activity map from the CDC puts Texas at a high level.
Officials are warning Texans to stay home even if showing mild flu-like symptoms. Visit your primary care provider, urgent care, pharmacy walk-in clinics or use telehealth services to stay on top of your health. If symptoms are severe, like troubled breathing, go to the emergency room. Refer to your doctor if unsure.
Mild flu symptoms include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, fatigue and headaches. Check out some tell-tale signs of the flu to look out for in children and adults below:
"Antiviral medications must be taken within the first 48 hours of symptom onset to be effective. Young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions are at increased risk for serious flu-related complications. These high-risk groups need to seek antiviral treatment early on," read a City of Austin release.
In addition to getting a flu shot, health experts say:
- Wash your hands often and avoid touching your face
- Cough and sneeze into a bent elbow
- Clean surfaces frequently
- Ask your medical provider for treatment for people in your household who have also been exposed to the virus and may be at increased risk to contract the flu
